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"I do think that the quality which makes a man want to write and be read is essentially a desire for self-exposure and is masochistic. Like one of those guys who has a compulsion to take his thing out and show it on the street." - James Jones
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We've got your morning mix of media Muesli after the jump...
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It's National Doughnut Day. 209 years ago, Patrick Henry died. 64 years ago was D-Day. 42 years ago, James Meredith was shot in Mississippi. 39 years ago, the "first internet connection created when information sent from one IMP data port to another" (thanks MicCheckRadio). 18 years ago, 2 Live Crew's "As Nasty As They Wanna Be" (what can you get for ten dollars?) was declared obscene by a Florida federal judge. 7 years ago, Sen. James Jeffords became an independent. Paul Giamatti is 41. Bjorn Borg is 52. Natalie Morales is 36. Tina Dupuy, Kelly McCormack and Eric Kuhn all celebrate birthdays over the weekend.
That Mike Allen kid is really gonna be something one day: Playbook now comes to your Blackberry with its first sponsor! Speaking of Playbook, Allen spots this "Early Show" gem:
Obama's traveling press got to Dulles after the Bristow rally and discovered the candidate wasn't with them. An exchange from CBS News' 'The Early Show':
REPORTER: 'Is there any reason we didn't go in the motorcade all the way? This is what we're out here for and now we're on this plane with no candidate.'
GIBBS: 'It wasn't an attempt to deceive in any way.'
Also: On "Today," David Gregory "promised/threatened to dance in the second hour."
Today's "Angry Journalist" rant of the day: "I'm only 23, but I can just feel that I'm going to be stuck in this business for most of my life because no one is looking for fun, creative stories -- everyone wants the hard, deadly, depressing news. I hate newspapers, and I'm working for one. I'm looking for a new job, but the only thing I can find that actually pays a regular rate is the newspaper industry. Aren't there any book publishers looking for editors anymore?!"
Michael Kehs of Porter Novelli's DC public affairs shop is leaving for Hill & Knowlton
A release announced, "ProPublica, a non-profit newsroom producing journalism in the public interest, today announced seven more additions to its news staff. Robin Fields, formerly an investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times, is a senior reporter at ProPublica. Jennifer LaFleur of the Dallas Morning News will be director of computer-assisted reporting. Jake Bernstein of The Texas Observer, Michael Grabell of the Dallas Morning News, Paul Kiel of TPMmuckraker and A.C. Thompson are joining ProPublica as reporters. Krista Kjellman, associate producer in the investigative unit of ABC News, is joining ProPublica as a web producer."
Media Matters reports, "Ignoring its own interview with Sen. Barack Obama in which he criticized the National Journal study, the Politico uncritically reported Sen. John McCain's claim that Obama has the 'most liberal voting record,' without citing any criticism of the study or noting that the ranking was based on subjectively selected votes."
The Washington City Paper reports, "The Washington Post, by the Numbers"
Chicago Tribune reports, "Tribune Co. officials think the media concern "could take about 500 pages out of our newspapers every week," company-wide, by reducing the proportion of editorial content to advertising to a 50-50 level, Chief Operating Officer Randy Michaels told the Chicago company's creditors Thursday."
Gawker reports, "David Carr of the New York Times, the newspaper's delightful media columnist, was roped into one of those incredibly boring panel discussions with which the city is plagued this week. One has to admire his ability to retreat into his own private world"
FishbowlNY presents, "Your Definitive (For Now) Guide to The New York Times Buyouts"
Gawker reports, "Times Rips Off Yet Another WSJ Story Idea"
The New York Observer reports, "The Times has no official anonymous sourcing rules--no 'two source rule' or anything like that--but they do often pass around internal documents to serve as guidelines. The paper's public editor Clark Hoyt recently recruited some Columbia J-school students and had them take some sample papers from 2004--when Al Siegal and Bill Keller last sent out an anonymous source guideline sheet--and compare them to 2007, and they found that anonymous sources had basically dropped by half at the paper. ... Mr. Keller acknowledges the paper's occassionally awkward insistence that they explain why some sources are not named (for instance! 'Mr. Smith couldn't speak today out of fear of offending those he works for.') though doesn't offer a suggestion how to work around it."
FamousDC reports, "Microsoft's Steve Ballmer stops by the WaPo and pronounces newspapers and magazines dead."
SAJAforum reports, "I was going through this Washington Post roundup--of how Obama's success in the Democratic primary has generated excitement around the world, when I came across what I thought was a very strange use of the word 'widow.' The article refers to a female interviewee, Sunila Patel, 62, as 'a widow encountered on the streets of New Delhi.' From 'Democratic Primary Boosts U.S. Image Around the World.' ... So was this merely sloppy editing, or could it be that her being a widow adds flavor to the story? And does being 'encountered' add texture and a physical dimension? Or does it suggest (as I at first thought) that she was some sort of vagrant, who just happened to be quite well read?"
Pew Weekly News Interest Index shows, "Over the course of the primary campaign season greater numbers heard about controversies associated with Barack Obama than heard about other campaign events. Nonetheless, far more Americans believe that the press coverage has favored Barack Obama than think it has favored Hillary Clinton."
New York Times reports, "Thomas A. Johnson, the first black reporter at Newsday and later, at The New York Times, one of the first black journalists to work as a foreign correspondent for a major daily newspaper, died on Monday in Queens. He was 79."
A NBC release announced, "According to Nielsen Media Research data, 'Meet
the Press with Tim Russert' was the most-watched Sunday morning public
affairs program, winning the week ending Sunday, June 1, 2008 in all
categories."
A release announced, "'The Chris Matthews Show' was the number-two rated
Sunday morning public affairs show tying CBS's 'Face the Nation' and ABC's
'This Week' and topping 'FOX News Sunday' in households nationally for the
week ending June 1, 2008."
An ABC release announced, "According to Nielsen Media Research for Sunday, June 1, 2008, ABC News' 'This Week with George Stephanopoulos' outperformed CBS' 'Face the Nation' among total viewers. This is the fourteenth week in a row and the 26th time this season 'This Week' beat 'Face' among total viewers. The program posted 2.65 million, outperforming CBS by 150,000 viewers."
Washington Post reports, "Silver Spring's Discovery Communications can now proceed with its plan to become a publicly traded company, following an agreement yesterday by its parent company and a major stakeholder, the company reported."
Slate reports, "Decades before Roger Ailes birthed the Fox News Channel for proud papa Rupert Murdoch, he had already played a role in creating a national conservative television news network -- Television News Inc. In Dark Genius, a new biography of Ailes, Kerwin Swint revisits the dawn—1973—and early demise -- 1975 -- of the news service funded by conservative brewer Joseph Coors to counter the "liberal" TV networks."
Greta Van Susterenwrites, "I like Jeff Toobin ... he has written a bunch of great books and articles…but last night on CNN he referred to Senator Clinton and her 'deranged narcissism.' (I was forwarded the video which I will not post here to protect him and those who laughed with him..and for the anchor who stood silent.) What's with Jeff being such a jerk? Where did he get this? deranged narcissism? Could he not stick to smart analytical criticism? and not wild personal insults and sideline/armchair psychology of a person he has probably never met? I actually would have put Jeff on the top of my list as someone who would stick to issues instead of getting personal and nasty..."
TVNewser's Chris Ariensreports, "Newsers Reflect on '68, Draw Parallels to '08"
TVNewser reports, "CNN announced today Travers Johnson, senior at Morehouse College, has won the network's 'Campus iReporter' contest. His iReport, submitted online, focused on whether it is a good time to be young and black in America."
Slate's Jacob Weisberg writes, "choosing David Plotz as my replacement was an easy decision. David has been here since Slate began, serving as the first writer of our 'Assessment' column, lead political writer, and Washington bureau chief."
The AP reports, "Yahoo Inc. says 94 newspapers have joined its online advertising consortium, bringing the total to nearly 800."
Wired reports, "A group of investors headed by Time Warner has granted Lord of the Rings Online creator Turbine Inc. $40 million in equity funding to be used in the creation of a mystery project."
GroundReport.com reports, "TechCrunch is launching a new video site called 'Elevator Pitches' which will enable startup entrepreneurs to submit their presentations for ratings, TechCrunch editor Erick Schonfeld announced today at the 'Future of Media' conference. He called the update 'breaking news,' adding that he had planned to blog about it before the panel but didn't have time."
Bloomberg reports, "Google Inc., owner of the most popular Internet search engine, will lease 42.2 acres of land at a NASA research park near its headquarters to build more offices."
BBC.com reports, "Almost 80% of social networking site users would be more careful about the details they put online if they knew the media might use them, a poll says."
BCS reports, "The hackers who successfully shut down the internet service provider Comcast's website for five hours have come forward."
Barb Palser, director of digital media for McGraw-Hill Broadcasting Co., writes for AJR, "At the National Association of Broadcasters' Las Vegas schmoozapalooza in April, most of my conversations with digital media colleagues centered on search marketing, online classifieds and partnership opportunities with Google and YouTube. We're all looking for ways to grab the long tail -- not of content, but of revenue."
Washington Post reports, "In an animated discussion with Washington Post editors and reporters yesterday, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer offered his far-ranging views of upcoming changes in technology and the media. Among other things, he confirmed that Microsoft's discussions with Yahoo have continued, predicted that in 10 years all media will be delivered via the Internet and professed that he is confused by Google's moves in the mobile-phone market."
Radio Online reports, "In the 52-page brief filed by U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement on Monday, the Justice Department said the U.S. Supreme Court should restore the FCC's authority to fine broadcast outlets for airing fleeting expletives. DOJ is seeking to overturn a ruling last June by the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York."
Washington Post reports, "Redskins owner Dan Snyder reached a deal yesterday to buy three local AM radio stations from Clear Channel Communications, including the area's leading sports-talk station, WTEM."
The Boston Phoenix asks, "Why isn't the press paying more attention to a possible attack on Iran?"
AdAge.com reports, "Have recent media-world developments left you bewildered? No idea what to expect next? Don't fret! It's time once again for Media Guy's Crystal Ball Report."
MarketWatch reports, "Time Warner Inc. Chief Financial Officer John Martin said the company expects its Time Inc. publishing unit to be a 'growth business' in the years to come, despite a 'difficult secular environment' in print advertising."
Washington Post reports, "George A. Enuton Sr., 72, who retired from the Federal Communications Commission in 1989 as assistant chief of the Mass Media Bureau's FM branch, died May 5 at Coastal Hospice at the Lake in Salisbury, on Maryland's Eastern Shore. He had neck and head cancer."
Robert Nileswrites, "Living in Los Angeles, I've discovered that the biggest movie fans anywhere are the people who work in the film industry. (Okay, I've also heard many times the easy joke about them having plenty of time to see movies, 'cause so many of them are usually out of work.) But you can find the same affinity in many fields. My wife is a professional violinist, and her music industry friends have the largest CD and MP3 collections I've ever seen -- and not just classical, but rock, pop, jazz, blues, funk and show tunes, too. So you'd think that journalists would be the biggest news hounds around. For the most part, you'd be right. I was talking with some of my Annenberg colleagues at a journalism conference last month, and one asked how many hours a day we each spent reading and watching the news, whether in print, online or on TV. The consensus? About four to five hours a day. But there is one exception to this potential rule: Many journalists despise TV news. They hate watching it, they hate producing it, and, given the opportunity, they turn it off and ignore it."
The Page reports, "Linda Douglass was one of America's top political reporters for more than thirty years before becoming Barack Obama's traveling spokeswoman last Wednesday. She spoke to TIME's Mark Halperin in Troy, Michigan earlier this week."
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